Audio Attachment:Listen to Alhaji Haruna Alhassan in an interview on Citi Fm |
Alhaji Haruna Alhassan, Deputy Managing Director of Metropolitan Entertainment Television (Metro TV) has categorically stated that he has no apology to render to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) because he is innocent of the allegations and issues raised by the ruling party about obvious bias being perpetrated against them by the station.
The NDC, on Thursday decided with immediate effect to boycott any political discussion programme on Metro TV due to what the ruling party describes as unfair treatment meted out to them by management of the Accra-based commercial television network. According to the NDC, the television station has conspired with some persons close to the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to muscle-out NDC representatives from the station�s Good Morning Ghana programme.
A member of the party�s Communication Team, Kojo Twum Boafo who is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Free Zones Board (GFZB), was atypically prevented from representing the views of the NDC on the station�s flagship programme, �Good Morning Ghana�, on Thursday morning. Reason? That the NPP�s representative on the show, Gabby Otchere Darko, was not comfortable with the person of Kojo Twum Boafo as a co-panelist.
Haruna Alhassan was accused by Kojo Twum Boafo in an interview during PeaceFM News@6pm of masterminding the whole incident because of his affinity to the NPP and the grand designs he harbours of being named as a possible running mate to the flagbearer of the NPP, Nana Akufo-Addo.
��they (Metro TV) only read comments from NPP activists on the show. Even most of the comments they read from their facebook wall are from NPP sympathizers like Olive, Maame Adwoa, even messages from TESCON are read, as if NDC members don�t send in comments�Just last week, he (Haruna) led an NPP delegation to Kumasi to mourn with the family of a Muslim cleric who lost his life recently�I say it on authority that Haruna Alhassan is the brain behind all this�listen, we�ve complained about this over a thousand times�,� he stated.
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But the Metro TV Deputy Managing Director stridently denies the allegations. He told Shamima Muslim in an interview on Citi Eyewitness News that no-one from the NPP including Gabby Otchere-Darko had asked the television station to prevent some people from the NDC from appearing on the programme.
He scoffed at demands by the ruling party for an apology, questioning the basis for those demands and posited that the station has faced more challenging situations than this and will definitely scale over its current predicament.
�I don't think there's even a problem in the first place. It's some people's mind...I have nothing to do with what is going on. I don�t interfere with the selection of people for "Good Morning Ghana" neither do i do for "Good Evening Ghana"...so for a Dep Minister to keep mentioning my name...and also say all manner of things about me is unfortunate...Whatever happened this morning (Thursday), why in heavens� name are they trying to link it with me? It's quite strange, Why? Is it because they've a problem with me? Is it because Okudzeto has a problem with me? Is it because Twum Boafo has a problem with me?...When have i said no to Twum Boafo?...All i've done is i've left this program to the producers...I would wish that they keep my name out of it...What has Metro TV done to issue an apology...we have faced major problems than this in the past and we have gone beyond it...,� he said.
But Deputy Minister of Information, Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa says the party has already been apologized to what transpired on Thursday morning. In an interview with Shamima Muslim on the same platform, Mr. Ablakwa disclosed that CEO of Metro TV, Mr. Talal Fatal, called to render an apology to the ruling party. He, however, pointed out that the NDC will meet to decide whether to go back to the programme or not.
�We will have our meeting and we will review our decision�,� he said.
Source: Rebecca Quaye/Peacefmonline.com
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